Synchronizer for talking-pictures.



J: B. OL INGER.

SYNCHRONIZER FOR TALKING PICTURES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4 ,1913- 1,1 86,494. v Patented June 6,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- J. B. OLINGEH.

SYNCHRONIZEB FOB TALKING PICTURES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 4, 1913.

Patented June 6, 1916.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 panyingdrawings, wherein- JEAN B. OLINGER, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

syncnnomznn roe TALKING-PICTURES.

Application filed Apri14, 1913. Serial No. 758,761.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, JEAN B. OLINGER, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have invented a Synchronizer for Talking-Pictures, of which the following is a specification;

This ,invention relates to devices'for opcrating a phonograph in connection with a kinetoscope or moving-picture machine in such manner as to give a second-record corresponding to the acts and speech of the characters thrown on the screen byjsuch ma chine; The object of my invention a simple device, mechanically operated, which shall enable the operator of a moving picture machine from his booth to control a phonograph producing a record corresponding to the film whichhe is exhibiting and to bring the two intostrict conformity; to enable relative speeds of the moving picture machine and phonograph to be controlled so that they shall be exactly equal; and in case either gets ahead of the other,

.to bring them back into conformity by a slight manipulation. 1

My invention comprisesthe constructions, arrangements and combinations hereinafter set forth and particularized in myclaims, reference being had to the accompanying detailed description of a particular embodiment of'my invention, and to the accom- Figure 1 is a more or less schematic view in" side'elevation exhibiting the necessary apparatus arranged with it in relation to an auditorium, but without preserving the exact relative dimensions ofthe parts; Figs. 2 and 8 are each transverse sections on the stepped plane Q, 3 of Fig. 4, the former looking in the-direction of the upper arrow and the latter in that of the lower arrow, of the element-of my synchroniz'er which is located in the operators booth; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section through the same on. a

, connected with the phonograph. Fig, 8'

illustrates'a manner of controllin two phonographs successively 'or alternatively,

'In these drawings each reference-letter or numeral, refers to the same' part wherever used.

Fig. 1 represents an auditorium Awhich may contain seats a for spectators and in is to providethelfront thereof, behind the proscenium a 1s hun the screen a upon a suitable roller Patented June 6, 1916.

a or o herwise, these elements forming no l part .of my invention and being merely illustrative of the application thereof. At some point in the rear of "the auditorium, customarily in an inclosure known as the operators box, is located a projector B and a moving picture machine C through which is carried a film c which passes across the beam of light thrown by the projector B and thereby projects upon the screen a an image of the successive pictures on the film, represented by the dotted lines 0 The-particular type of projector and mov ing-picture machine which may be adopted is entirely immaterial to my invention, but it is supposed to have agear-wheel e or other mechanical element adapted to drive the driving-shaft D of one element of my synchronizer, and in the present case this driving-shaft D is represented as carrying a gear d adapted to intermesh with the gear 0 on the moving-picture machine C. It will, of course, be understood, that where no convenient gear is present on the moving-picture machine, a special gear ma be mounted on one of the shafts thereo or any positive driving-means whatever, many of which are well-known to the mechanic arts, may be adopted for communicating motion from the moving-picture machine to which turns upon a vertical shaft c rotated by a motor e within the phonograph-box E; but it will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in theart how' the synchronizer may be adapted to any other type of talkingmachine by roperly changing the disposi:

tion' of'the e ements. For the sake of illus'- tration, the phonograph is shown as having a needleor vibrating point e which delive ers thesound into 'a-resonance-horn e.

It will be understood that the film and sound-record correspond with'each other, so

that when they are driven at the proper reof each; and (3) that the two machines be driven at the same relative speed. In order to effect the first, I provide an electromag netic starting-device for the motor 6 in the box E, and operating means consisting of a battery or other source of electricity F, an electric circuit consisting of Wires f extending from the box E to a point adjacent to the moving-picture machine and containing the battery and electro-magnetic release and a switch f adapted to close or open the circuit, said switch,being located in such position that it may be manipulated to turn on the circuit at the same moment that the moving picture-machine is started. The said electromagnetic device may comprise an electromagnet e and pivoted armature e carrying an arm 0 adapted to releasably engage a moving part e of the motor, but any similar device maybe employed. It will be understood that if the phonograph is driven by an electric motor, it will be merely necessary to placesaid motor in circuit with the wires f, and if it be driven, as I prefer to have it, by a spring or other independent motor then the electromagnetic device in series with the wires f simply removes a dog from some revolving element of the motor which permits it to run. By this means the phonograph can be started by simply turning the switch f and thereupon the record-disk 6 will be set in motion and the phonograph will begin to talkaccording to the record.

In order to assure that the film and soundrecord begin at the same point of the story a notch or mark is. made in the corresponding point of each where they are to begin and these points are set in advance of the start opposite points marked on the respective housings or casings of the two machines.

It remains to be shown how the two machines can be brought into exact synchronism if they are slightly displaced from one another at the start or if they should become so in the course of operation. This is effected by my synchronizer. The synchronizer comprises two elements, one of which is located in the operators box and is driven from the moving-picture machine, and the other adjacent to the phonograph behind the screen (5 the two devices being operatively connected by means of a cord or other flexible connection which passes around pulleys H and I on the two devices respectively and around any required number of intermediate guide-pulleys g, g 9 In order to keep the tension on' the cord G constant, it passes at one point of its circuit around cord 57 passing over the a tightening-pulley g which is yieldingly held in tension by a weight g secured .to a

or an equivalent mechanical arrangement is adopted.

The pulley or sheave H which drives the pulley Or sheave I is mounted on a shaft it supported on bearing-pedestals h and it is itself driven from the shaft D by the fol-- lowing arrangement. \Vithin a box or housing J are rotatably mounted the shaft D, a stub-shaft K, a longitudinally shifting counter-shaft M, and a laterally shiftable shaft N. The shaft D turns in bearings in the box J and on a bearing-bracket (Z and carries two gears (l and (Z preferably of equal size. With the gear (I meshes continuously an idle gear is, which turns upon the stub-shaft K, the latter being fixed in position in the side of the box J by a nut is on its screw-threaded outer end. \Vith the gear is meshes on the opposite side from the gear (Z a gear m which is of the same size as the gear (I and is keyed to the shaft M, which latter rotates inbearings in the box J and is also adapted to slide laterally therein as indicated by the dotted-line position in Fig. 5. On this shaft M is also keyed another gear m which is smaller than the gear (Z and located in line with the latter when in operative position.

Upon a pin 0, which is mounted in the side of the box J and upon a pedestal 0 is pivotally mounted a forked standard 0 which has a handle 0 projectingthrough a slot 9 in a plate P which lies ontop of the box J and is secured to the two sides thereof. The standard 0 carries the shaft N journaled therein, said shaft projecting through a suitable slot j in the rear side of the box J and being connected with the shaft h by any kind of flexible-couplingmember Q, such as an -Oldhams coupling, Hooke-joint, flexible shaft or any other well-known method, thus enabling the shaft N to shift laterally while driving the shaft 5. On the. shaft N is mounted a gearwheel 11, which is of such diameter that it can mesh with either of the gears (Z m but not with both at the same time. When thrown to the right as seen in Fig. 2, the gear a meshes with the gear m and is out of mesh with the gear (Z and when thrown to the left by means of the handle 0 said gear 02 meshes with the gear (Z and is out of mesh with the gear m Said gear n is normally held. in mesh with the gear m by means of a coiled tension spring R, which engages with the standard 0 and one side of the casing, said spring being omit-ted in Fig. 5 to avoid obscuring the parts below it. tVhen, however, the shaft M is shifted so as to occupy the dotted line-position in Fig. 5, the two gears m, m will be out of line with the respective gears uide-p y 9f should be.

is, n, and the latter will no longer be driven. In this case, the movement ofthe gear n is limitedby the contact of the handle 0 with the end of the slot p, so that the gears m and m are thrown into mesh again simply by sliding the shaft M back. It will be noted that this arrangement gives normally a certain speed of rotation to the shafts N, h which is increased by throwing the handle 0 over to the left and is reduced to zero by shifting the shaft M into the dotted line. position. Thus the speed of the shaft k can ,be accelerated or: reduced at will. The reduction can also take place by holding the handle 0 in the middle so'that the gear 11' will be out of driving contact with either. of the gears d m; The other element of my synchronizer, located over the phonograph-box E, comprises sheave or pulley I and an extension S of the motor-shaft e of the phonograph on which said sheave I turns loosely. This extension S is preferably located somewhat out of" line with the shaft 6 and is connected therewith by a flexible shaft section 8' or similar driving-device so as to enable the cover of the phonograph to be raised up without disconnecting the shaft S from it. The shaft S carries a disk T fixed to it and having a notch t at the point ofits circumference, with which engages in the driving-direction a pawl U mounted upon a pin u on the sheave I and pressed against thedisk T by a spring if. The shaft S is supported in bearings s which are disposed some dis tance apart so as to enable the shaft with the disk T to be raised when the phonograph record is changed orfor any other purpose by the attendant, thus carrying the disk T out of engagement with the pawl U.

The motor 6 of the phonograph is set so as normally to turn the record-disk e at a rate very slightly lower than the rate of rotation at which the sheave I is driven when the positions of the parts are as shown in full lines of the drawing. Then as the sheave I rotates, it will gradually creep upv upon the disk T until the pawl U engages in the-notch t thereof, .and thereafter the movement of the phonograph-motor will "be very slightly accelerated by the power driving the moving-picture machine so as to make them rotate inexact synchrony, and supposing the film and sound-record correspond condition of, things is as it But if the sound-record is slightly ahead of the film they are brought intoharmony by shifting the shaft M lonthe so nd-record is, diminished by the amoun which it takes from. the power driv-' ,same direction.

ing the moving-picture machine, and th' speed of the latter by so much increased-.

the

by the engagement of the pawl U in the notch Z. If, on the other hand, vthe soundrecord la s behind the film, the standard 0 is shifte left, so that the gear 11. engages with the gear (P, which increases the rate of rotation of the shaft h, sheaves H and I, disk T and motor-shaft e relatively to that of the moving-picture machine, and this condition is maintained until uniformity between film and sound-record is reestablished, when the standard 0 is allowed to be pulled back by the; spring R to the normal position. By these manipulations an operator, with a little experience, can keep the sound-record in ractical uniformity with the film, retar ing or accelerating it as required, so that no substantial lack of conformity will be observed by the audience. When it is desired to run a film without the 'phonograph record, it is merely necessary to raise the shaft 8 and disk T to the dotted-line position in Fig. 6.

In some cases, it is desirable to use two phonographs in connection with the same moving-picture machine which are alternatively thrown into operation either for the same. film or for successive films. I have accomplished this by means of my improved device shown in Fig. 8. In this case the place of the sheave I is takenby the sheave I mounted on the ends of two bellcrank levers W', pivotally supported on standards w or otherwise. The shaft V carries on its ends two bevel-gears a,

'which lie on one side of the respective ing vertically movable and carrying notched disks T the same as the disk T. These shafts S replace the single shaft S in'Fig. 1 as extensions of the motor-shafts of two phonographs E not shown in the drawing. The place ofthe sheaves I is taken bya disk by means of the handle 0 to the X mounted to turn freely on each of the shafts S which I carries a spring pressed pawl, the same as the sheave I, and also has rigidly connected thereto, a bevel-gear a2";

these bevel-gears being adapted tomesh alternatively with the gears 0 but one is located above, the other below, the shaft V,to-

insure the two shafts S being driven in the The bell-crank levers W are arranged to be operated by two solenoids or electromagnetsi Y, which are connected to two different circuits g, 3 each operated by the same battery and closed by a change-over switch 3 which may be located in the operators booth. Each of the solenoids or electro-magnets Y has an armature y which swings from the free end of the corresponding bell-crank lever \V. Now when the switch 3 is thrown to one side, as for example the full-line position in Fig. 8, it is obvious that the corresponding electro-magnet Y will be energized to draw down its armature z while the other electro-magnet Y will release its armature, the circuit 1 thereof being open. This will result in shifting the shaft V toward the right into the position shown in the figure, thus causing the shaft V to drive the gear as and the shaft S on the right, and the phonograph connected therewith, while at the same time the other gear gv is disengaged and the corresponding phonograph stopped. A reversal of these operations will take place by throwing the switch 3 over toward the left. By means of this arrangement it is possible to adjust one phonograph and place a new record in position while the other phonograph is running, and as soon as the end of the record on the latter is reached, the oper-' ator immediately throws over the switch y thus continuing the sound-record on the other. phonograph without apparent interruption, and the sound-record on the first phonograph can now be again adjusted or changed and so on indefinitely.

Vhile I have hereinabove shown the most improved form of my invention, I wish it understood that not all of the features are essential thereto or necessarily made in exact form shown, but various changes and modifications in the constructions as herein shownmay be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I wish it understood therefore that the latter is not otherwise limited than by the scope of my claims.

In the following claims the word phonograph is intended to apply to any kind of a talking-machine and not a machine of a particular type.

Having thus described my invention what I- claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. The combination ofa moving-picture machine, a phonograph having a motor operating it in approximate synchrony with said machine, and a synchronizing device mechanically connecting the t'wo and embodying clutch-mechanism normally inoperative, and thrown into operation by the departure of the speeds of the two machines from synchronism to give a slight acceleration to said phonograph whenever it would otherwise retard behind synchrony with the picture machine.

2. The combination of a moving-picture machine having means for operating it at a predetermined speed, a phonograph having a motor-device for operating it in approximate synchrony with said moving-picture machine, and means to accelerate the speed of the phonograph, embodying a device normally inoperative and thrown into operation by the departure of the speeds of the two machines from synchronism and adapted to transfer a variable part of the power of the moving-picture motor to the phonograph.

3. Thecombination of a moving-picture machine having means for operating it at a predetermined speed, a phonograph having a motor-device for operating it in approximate synchrony with said moving-picture machine, a mechanical connection between the motor of said moving-picture machine and the motor of said phonograph and an adjustable element in said mechanical connection adapted to transfer a variable requisite part of the power of one of said motors to the other machine to accelerate the speed of the latter.

4. The combination of a moving-picture machine having means for running it at a predetermined speed, a phonograph having a rotating shaft and means for running it at a predetermined speed, a rotating-member surrounding said shaft and freely turnable thereon, mechanical driving-means connecting said rotating member with said movingpicture machine to drive it in the same direction as said shaft-and at approximately the same speed, and a one-way driving-connection between said rotating-member and said shaft permitting the shaft to turn faster than the member.

5. The combination of a moving-picture machine having means for running it at a predetermined speed, a phonograph having a rotating shaft.'and means for running it at a predetermined speed, a rotating-member surrounding said shaft and freely turnable thereon, mechanical driving-means connecting said rotating member with said movingpicture machine to drive it in the same direction as said shaft and at approximately the same speed, a member carried by said shaft having a notch in one side thereof and a spring-pressed pawl carried by said rotating 'member and adapted'to engage in said notch and drive said shaft only in the driving-direction.

6. The combination of a moving-picture machine having a moving element and means for operating said machine at a predetermined speed, a phonograph having a shaft and means for turning it at a predetermined speed, an auxiliary shaft, a mechanical driving-connection between said auxiliary shaft and said phonograph-shaft and a normally inoperative driving connection between said auxiliary shaft and said movable element of the moving-picture machine and thrown into operation by the departure of the speeds of the two machines from synchronism to accelerate the speed of the phonograph.

7. The combination of a moving-picture machine having a' movable-element and means for operating said machine at a predetermined speed, a phonograph having a shaft and means for turning it at a predetermined speed, an auxiliary shaft, normally inoperative motor-transferring means interposed between said auxiliary shaft and said phonograph-shaft and thrown into operation by the departure of the speeds of the two machines from synchronism, a gearwheel mounted on said auxiliary shaft for driving it, said gear-wheel being shiftable in its own plane, a pair of gear-wheels With either of which said first-named gear-wheel is adapted to mesh alternatively, and means for driving said pair of gear-wheels from said moving-picture machine at speeds adapted to impart different velocities to said first-named gear-wheel.

8. The combination of a moving-picture machine having a movable element and means for operating said machine at a predetermined speed, a phonograph having a shaft and means for turning it at a predetermined speed, an auxiliary shaft, a one Way driving-connection between said auxiliary shaft and said phonograph-shaft, a gearwheel mounted on said auxiliary shaft for driving it, said gear-wheel being shiftable in its own plane, a pairof gear-wheels with either of which said first-named gear-wheel is adapted to mesh alternatively, means for driving said pair of gear-wheels from said moving-picture machine at a speed ada ted to impart difl'erent velocitiesv to said rstnamed gear-wheel, and means normally holding said first-named gear in mesh with one of said pair of gear-Wheels.

9. The combination of a moving-picture machine having a' movable element and means for operating 'said' machine at a predetermined speed, a phonograph having a shaft and means for turning it at a pre-v determined speed, an auxiliary shaft, an independently rotatable member'on the shaft of said phonograph, a mechanical connection between said auxiliary, shaft and said rotatbetween said rotating member and said phonograph-shaft, and a variable-speed drivingconnection between said auxiliary shaft and said moving-picture machine.

10. The combination of a moving-picture machine having a movable element and means for operating said machine at a predetermined speed, a phonograph having a shaft and means for turning it at a, prede-; termlned speed, an auxiliary shaft, an indebetween said auxiliary shaft and said rotating member; a one-way driving-connec,

tion between said rotating member and said phonograph-shaft, a gear-Wheel mounted on said auxiliary shaft for driving it, said gearwheel being shiftable in its own plane, a pair of gear-wheels with eitherof which said first-named gear-wheel is adapted to mesh alternatively, means for driving said pair of gear wheels from said movingpicture machine at speeds adapted to impart different velocities to said first-named gear-wheel, and means normally holding said firstnamed gear in mesh with one of said pair of gears.

a variable speed-device in said drivingmechanism. a

12. The combination of a moving-picture machine having means for operating it at a predetermined speed, a pair of phonographs having motor-devices for operating them in approximate synchrony with said moving-picture machine, each of said phonographs -havinga rotatingshaft, a oneway driving mechanism operated by said moving-picture machine, means for shifting said driving-mechanism, and a disengageabl'e driving-connection between said drivingmechanism and the shaft of each. phonograph, the driving-connection with one phonograph being disengaged when the other is engaged and vice versa.

13. The combination of a moving-picture machine having means for operating it at a predetermined speed, a pair of phonographs having motor-devices for operating them in approximate synchrony with said movingpicture machine, each of said phonographs having a rotating-shaft, a one-way drivingmechanism operated by said moving-picture machine, means for shifting said drivingmechanism, a disengageab1e driving-connection between said driving-mechanism and the shaft of each phonograph, the drivingconnection with one phonograph being disengaged when the other is engaged and vice versa; said driving-mechanism containing a variable speed-device adapted to increase or diminish the speed of said driving-connections with respect to that of 'saidmovingpicture machine. v

1a. The combination of a m ving-picture machine having means foroperating it at a predetermined speed, a pair of phono-' .them in approximate synchrony with said moving-picture machine,each of said phon0 graphs having a rotating-shaft, a one-waydriving-mec'han'ism,operated by said. moving-picture machine, means, for shifting said driving-mechanism, a disengageable driving-connection between said drivingmechanism and the shaft of each phonograph, the driving-connection with one phonograph being disengaged when the other is engaged and vice versa; an electromagnetic device adapted to-shift said drivingmechanism, an electric circuit including said electromagneticdevice, and a switch in said circuit located in' proximity to said movingpicture machine.

15. Thecombination ofa moving-picture machine havingvmeans for operating it at a predeterminedyspeed, a pair of phonographs having motor-devices for operating them in approximate synchrony with said moving-picture machine, each of said phonographs having a rotating-shaft, a one-way driving-mechanism operated by said moving-picture machine, means for shifting said driving mechanism, a disengageable driving-connection between said driving-mechanism and the shaft, of each phonograph, the driving-connection with one phonograph being disengaged when the other is engaged and vice versa; a pair of electromagnetic devices one of which is adapted to shift said driving-mechanism in one direction when energized and the other in the other direction, a pair of electric circuits including the respective electromagnetic devices,

and a change-over switch adapted to sim'ul-' taneously open one circuit and close the other.

16. The combination of a moving-picture machine, a variable-speed driving mechanism driven by it and means for adjusting it to two different speeds, a shaft driven by said driving-mechanism and carrying two gear-wheels, means for shifting said shaft longitudinally, a pair of phono aphs each having a, shaft, means for rotatingthe latter, a'pair of gear-wheels on the respective phonograph 'shafts adapted to engage alternatively "said first named gear wheels,

one of said last-named gear-wheels being engaged in one position and the otherin another position of said shaft, and means for shifting said shaft and normally inoperative means 0 erable to give a slight acceleration to t e phonograph whenever it would otherwise retard behind synchrony.

17. The combination of a moving-picture machine, a variable-speed driving-mechanism driven by it and means for adjusting it to two different speeds, a shaft driven by said driving-mechanism and carrying two gear-wheels, means for shifting said shaft longitudinally, a pair ofphonographs each having a shaft, means for rotating the latter, a pair of gear-wheels on the respective phonograph shafts adapted to engage alternatively said first-named gear-wheels, one of said last-named gear-wheels being engaged in one position and the other in another position of said shaft, an electro magnetic device adapted to shift said shaft, an electric circuit including said device, normally inoperative means operable to give a slight acceleration to the phonograph whenever it would otherwise retard behind synchrony, and: a switch in proximity to said moving-picture machine in said electric circuit.

18. The combination-of a moving-picture machine, a variable-speed driving-mechanism driven by it and means for adjusting it to two different speeds, a shaft driven by said driving-mechanism and carrying two gear-wheels, means. for shifting said shaft longitudinally, a pair of phonographs each having .a shaft, means for rotating the latter, a pair of gear-wheels loosely mounted on the respective phonograph shafts adapted to engage alternatively said first-named gear-wheels, one of said last-named gearwheels being engaged in one position and the other in another position of said shaft, and means for shiftin said shaft; each of said gear-wheels on t e respective phonograph-shafts having a one-way drivingconnection "therewith adapted to accelerate the driving-shaft in the direction of its rotation when the gear-wheel turns faster than the shaft but permitting the shaft. to turn faster than the gear-wheel.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

J; B. OLINGER.

Witnesses: 1

ROBERT WHITE, PAUL BEFFORT. 

